Excellus BCBS Broker News Vol. 19 No. 7 Special Issue

2025 Large Group Product Updates

With a new year comes exciting new changes to bring groups and members even better coverage. Take a look at what’s in store for 2025.

Here’s What’s New for 2025*:

• Reminder! ThriveWell℠ : Introduced in 2024, ThriveWell is a digital home base dedicated to engaging teams in health and wellbeing. Virgin Pulse** will be transitioning to the Personify Health™ name and brand over the coming months. Members will continue to use and engage with the Virgin Pulse solutions throughout 2024. This partnership with Virgin Pulse gives employees the tools to make small, everyday changes to their wellbeing that are focused on the areas they want to improve the most. They’ll build healthy habits, have fun with friends, and experience the lifelong rewards of better health and wellbeing. ThriveWell is embedded in all Fully Insured plans and available as a buy-up for Self-Funded and Minimum Premium plans. The suite of rewards programs is designed to provide employees with helpful incentives for getting and staying healthy. Based on the incentives that groups are looking to offer, there are several different reward options available to be purchased.
• Foodsmart Nutritional Program: Foodsmart is a nutrition offering embedded in the Virgin Pulse platform, where members can take the ‘NutriQuiz’ for personalized health insights, browse a comprehensive recipe library, set dietary preferences, and save recipe ingredients to an exportable grocery list.
• Mom's Meals®*** : In partnership with Mom's Meals, Excellus BCBS is making nutritious home-delivered meals available to members after a hospital stay. The availability of healthy food options after discharge has been shown to lower the chances a member will be readmitted. To support recovery following an observation, inpatient acute or skilled nursing facility stay, members can receive up to two free home-delivered meals per day for 7 days. Mom’s Meals is available as a buy-up for all PPO plans.
• Simply Vision℠ Plan Options: Excellus BCBS is introducing two new Simply Vision plan options: Simply Vision Platinum℠ and Simply Vision Platinum Plus. The Platinum Plan will have a $0 copay and an increased allowance from $150 to $175. The Platinum Plus Plan will offer all the benefits in the Platinum Plan, plus coverage of safety glasses. All six Simply Vision plans include low-cost eye exams plus benefits for fully covered and low-cost corrective eyewear, plus other great discounts. Through a partnership with Davis Vision****, members will have access to a large local and national network.
• Eliminating Diabetic Insulin Copays: According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes have medical expenses that are 2.6 times higher than people who do not have diabetes. To improve accessibility and affordability, Excellus BCBS supports the NYS mandate to eliminate the cost share – including the deductible –for diabetic insulin.
• Cardiac And Pulmonary Rehab: Excellus BCBS is committed to lowering the total cost and other barriers to care for members. Beginning in 2025, Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab health services, will be covered in full, (subject to deductible when applicable) for Fully Insured.

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Learn More Now

• Log in to the Sales Hub for on-demand training videos overviewing all Large Group updates for 2025. If you’re new to the Sales Hub see the “Request An Account” link on the Sales Hub login page.
• Marketing collateral is now available on the Sales Hub and Blue on Demand. You can also order printed copies by contacting your Excellus BCBS Account Manager or Account Service Consultant, or by filling out the Large Group Materials Order Form. Refer to the 2025 Product Guide for available collateral or contact your Account Service Consultant.
• Blue on Demand allows you to quote plan designs and learn more about new products and offerings. Please contact your Excellus BCBS Account Manager or Account Service Consultant with any questions. Login to Access Blue on Demand.
• More information will be available for Small Group this fall.

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^{* Subject to DFS approval}

^{** Virgin Pulse is an independent company and offers a digital wellbeing service on behalf of Excellus BCBS.}

^{*** Mom’s Meals is an independent company that provides home delivered meals and nutritional services to Excellus BCBS members.}

^{**** Davis Vision is an independent company providing vision benefit management services and access to their network.}

^{A nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association}

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